A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted a former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on 12 counts of fraud and money laundering following charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court ruled on all counts in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024, finding the former minister guilty of financial misconduct linked to large-scale public funds.
Saleh Mamman, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, was accused of involvement in the illegal diversion of approximately N33.8 billion in public funds.
The court also found that he made an unlawful cash payment of $655,700 (about N200 million) for property in Abuja without passing through any financial institution, a violation of financial regulations.
In addition, he was convicted of criminal breach of trust in connection with funds released for major power projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
According to the judgment, a significant portion of the funds was allegedly laundered through Bureau de Change operators, who converted the money into foreign currencies before handing it over in cash.
Justice Omotosho described the prosecution’s evidence as strong and overwhelming, while noting that the defence failed to provide credible evidence to counter the charges.
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